Alternate Demons
by Nena Camadera
Summary: A Tenchi and Ryoko from an alternate reality wind up in the Masaki house hold. What secrets do they hide, and will they be able to return to the world they came from?


Summery: A Ryoko and Tenchi from an alternate universe wind up in the Masaki household. Will the gang be able to return the two to their own world?

A/N: Takes place in Tenchi Muyo Ryo-oh-ki, before the third OAV. Contains many elements from the videogame Digital Devil Saga.

**'break'**

She groaned as consciousness slowly enveloped her. What had happened? She remembered fighting _him_, and then…what? A flash of light, a blinding pain, the cries of her comrades, oblivion engulfing her…and then…and then what?

She slowly picked herself up from the cool ground, soil sticking to her uniform. Wait, soil? She glanced at her hands, which were indeed covered with a thin layer of dirt. She brushed it off, confused. The fight had been in a building in a city, where dirt was scarce. Had she been knocked through a window? With a shake of her head, she dismissed the thought. That wasn't right.

She looked around at her surroundings. Wherever she was, it was like no place she had ever been to before. The world she knew was cold and lifeless. This place seemed to be the exact opposite. Shades of green and brown were before her as she looked at the different trees and shrubbery. The sound of…birds? Chirping in said trees could be heard, along with the songs of various insects.

She looked upward, into a clear blue sky, warm sunlight bathing her beaten body. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on. And it was all wrong. The sky she knew was a harsh, poisonous yellow, the sun even harsher as it tried with all its might to turn any living thing it touched to stone.

Yellow eyes closed as she moaned, clutching her head. Images flew through her head of another time, where her sky was like the one she currently stood under, the sun just as kind as the one that bathed her in its light. The images were alien to her, and she desperately tried to vanquish them from her mind.

Slowly, the visions faded away, leaving her with a feeling of emptiness. She pushed it to the side, having long grown used to the feeling since her Atma awakened. The woman sighed, wishing slightly that she was still in the Junkyard…she shook her head, banishing the thoughts. Now was not the time for such things. She was in an unknown location, with no knowledge of the location of her comrades, and no knowledge of the local enemies.

She unslung her assault rifle from where it rested on her back. Better safe then sorry. Her golden eyes searched the area before coming to rest on a small trail a few feet to her left. _Might as well_ she thought to herself, venturing onto the trail and allowing it to lead her to whatever destination it had in mind, absently brushing away a stray lock of cyan blue hair in the process.

**'break'**

Washu Hakubi, self proclaimed 'greatest scientific genius in the universe' was not a happy woman. Behind her, a machine that once held a purpose lay broken, nothing more then a pile of scrap metal. In front of her was the cause of her anger, the one who _made_ the machine a pile of useless scrap metal, and was currently bawling her eyes out, Mihoshi Kuramitsu. In the back of her mind, Washu's more rational mind wondered how such a klutz like the blonde in front of her could do so much damage by pressing a single button. Another part silently wondered if she was cursed, or if this was some sort of divine karma for something she had done in the past.

However, most of her mind was focused on Mihoshi as the scientist ignored those small voices in favor for yelling at the 1st class detective of the Galaxy Police.

"Mihoshi, what is your problem!?" The petite red head cried. "I've told you time and time again _not_ to come into my lab, _not_ to touch any of my inventions, and _not_ to press any buttons!"

The scientist leaned in close to the detective's face, and in a low, threatening voice, said "now tell me, what part of what I just said do you _not_ understand?"

Mihoshi's sobs and a blubbery apology was all she got in response, and Washu gave out a long sigh because of it. She put a hand to her head and began massaging her temples, feeling her anger drain away. These incidents were becoming a daily habit, and as much as she hated to admit it, Washu was getting used to the destruction of her machines. Thus, it felt slightly pointless to get angry at Mihoshi, especially when the girl only came in to tell her lunch was ready.

Mihoshi continued to cry, and Washu's anger quickly became guilt. Once again, she sighed. "Mihoshi, its okay, I'm not mad at you."

The cries quickly died down as watery blue eyes met emerald eyes. "You mean it? Because I'm really really sorry and I promise not to do it again…" Tears began to once again well up in her eyes, and Washu quickly calmed her down again.

"Yes, yes. I understand. Now how about we go back and have lunch with the others." The smile Washu wore was more of a grimace, as the woman silently repeated in her head, _please stop crying and get out of my lab. _Like a silent mantra.

Mihoshi sniffed once, and slowly, the tears stopped falling as the Galaxy Police officer stood up from the place she'd been sitting. "Y...you mean it?" She asked, her eyes still slightly watery.

Washu nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes, now come on, lets go." _I'll have to fix what Mihoshi destroyed later, preferably, when she's not here._ The scientist thought to herself, her mind too distracted to notice the red glow coming from one of the many panels of her lab, signaling that something wasn't quite right.

**'break'**

His head bowed in apparent deep thought, Katsuhito Masaki slowly climbed the steps that led to the shrine, two wooden swords in his hands. The old priest had just finished sparring with Tenchi not even five minutes ago. The boy was getting better, he silently mused, though Tenchi still needed to work on paying attention. He allowed himself to become distracted far too easily at times, something that could become fatal in battle.

Now, he had sent the boy back to the house below the shrine, ordering him to gather a few carrots for lunch before retuning to the household for food. The old man smirked slightly, knowing Tenchi would do as he bid_. Good to see some people still respect their elders._ He thought to himself, snorting lightly at his comment.

The prince paused, listening to the angry cries of birds leaving their nests, something upsetting them greatly. Katsuhito slowly lifted his head in the direction of the disturbance, sensing something that _did not belong_ approaching. Quietly, he thanked Tsunami for deciding to become a priest in his time on Earth, the training required having sharpened what some might call his 'sixth sense' greatly.

And so, it wasn't very difficult for the prince turned priest to sense the almost demonic presence that was approaching, something that felt more demonic then Ryoko when she'd been under Kagato's hand.

The elder waited silently, fingering one of the two wooden swords casually, the presence growing ever stronger as the creature grew closer. It seemed to pause right before it stepped out of the tree line, as though contemplating the wisdom of leaving the cover of the trees for the more open steps. Katsuhito squinted, just making out a dim, humanoid silhouette hidden in the shadows.

For several seconds, both opponents simply stood in the same spot, neither offering to make a move to the other. Nothing more then a stand still. Finally, Katsuhito spoke up, breaking the silence that had fallen around the two. "Well, are you going to show yourself, or are you going to stay hidden in the forest?" He asked, raising his head just enough for his glasses to pick up the glare of the sunlight, masking his eyes from the stranger.

The silhouette hesitated for a brief second, before stepping out of the forest and onto the steps, the light of the sun basking his form. Behind his glasses, Katsuhito's eyes widened a fraction of an inch, the entities form having been the last thing he'd expected.

Dark hair gently swayed in the breeze that had suddenly picked up, sending the short hair to and fro. Eyes that matched the darkness of the hair peered out from an all to familiar face, the expression of warmth and kindness that usually accompanied it replaced with the expressionless gaze Katsu-no, _Yosho_, had seen in soldiers that had seen too much in the line of duty.

The stranger was dressed in a grey uniform, several bronze plates and zippers adorned on the suit, connecting the lower and upper halves of the uniform. Where one of the zippers was pulled down, the priest saw a black shirt covering the person's skin, a blue stripe running around an arm, appearing as if someone had grabbed a paintbrush and layered it on. A strange, black tattoo that vaguely resembled a gaping, fanged mouth rested on his neck. On one leg, a handgun of some sort lay strapped to the man's side, the strap holding it in place loose, ready to be drawn should it's owner require it.

Yosho Masaki Jurai stared in hidden shock at the young man in front of him. What appeared to be a slightly older Tenchi Masaki stared back, the look in his dark eyes showing no recognition, but a simple curiosity mixed in with confusion.

**'break'**

Tenchi Masaki quietly headed to the house, the carrot patch surrounding him on all sides. "Ryo-oh-ki should enjoy these." He said aloud, a small smile on his youthful face, a small basket containing several carrots nestled in his arms. "Besides, these should keep her out of Sasami's hair for a little while. I know how difficult she can be in regards to foods that involve carrots as an ingredient." He laughed lightly, recalling several memories of an upset Sasami and a victorious, thieving cabbit.

"She's as bad as Ryoko in that respect." The boy murmured. "Guess that proves they're related, if anything else." He said, recalling Washu's little 'speech' on how the duo had been created during the masu incident.

A familiar form waiting on the trail ahead of him caught his attention_. Speak of the devil…_he thought, recognizing the ex-space pirate watching him a good distance away, the shadows of the forest masking her expression.

She was turned sideways towards him, one arm hidden from view, her outfit odd, even for one such as Ryoko. _Well, at least she hasn't tried to smother me in a hug this time._ He thought, drawing closer to the pirate and calling out a friendly greeting. "Ryoko! What are you doing here?"

The cyan haired woman didn't respond, instead regarding the teen with piercing golden eyes, looking him up and down, a frown on her face. Tenchi's brow furrowed in confusion, an uneasy feeling twisting in his stomach. Something wasn't right. "Ryoko?" He asked, his pace slowing to a more cautious walk, recalling the incident with Zero. "Ryoko, what's wrong?" He asked, coming to a halt several feet away from the pirate.

The woman narrowed her eyes at him, her face twisting into an angry snarl. "You." She said, speaking with such animosity that the young prince took an involuntary step back, surprised to hear such hostility coming from the woman who declared her love for him on a daily basis.

The arm that was hidden at her side swerved towards the teen, the glint of light reflecting off metal hitting his eyes. Startled, Tenchi found himself looking down the barrel of a rather dangerous gun-the type that seemed reserved for military personnel only.

Perhaps it was divine intervention, perhaps simple clumsiness on Tenchi's part, but as the woman that wore Ryoko's face aimed the weapon at the unprotected boy, finger resting on the trigger, Tenchi took another step back….and fell to the ground just as the trigger was pulled, releasing a torrent of bullets, where, only a second ago, the boy's head had been.

Not giving this small bit of luck a questioning glance, Tenchi quickly scrambled away from the woman, the carrots he'd gathered scattered in various places. The song of the bullets died down, and what Tenchi was starting to think of as 'Evil Ryoko' stared down at him.

She growled at him, her eyes flashing in rage. "Fight me!" She howled, again aiming the gun at Tenchi's head, her hands, and therefore, the gun, trembling with barely contained hate. Tenchi hesitated, looking into the golden orbs he'd come to know so well, searching for some sign that a part of the Ryoko he knew resided within the being in front of him.

**'break'**

In the Masaki household, Sasami Masaki Jurai dropped the platter of food she was carrying, the contents of the dish spilling to the floor as the young girl clutched her head, her eyes wide with fear and pain, a scream escaping her throat that sent shivers down the spines of those unfortunate enough to hear it. Her elder sister, Ayeka Masaki Jurai, quickly ran to the young girl's side, worry evident within her dark red eyes. Ignoring the ruined food that now covered the wooden floor, Ayeka knelt beside her younger sister, resting her hands on the young girl's shoulders.

"Sasami?" She asked, her voice thick with concern. "Sasami, what's wrong?" Behind her, Ayeka barely registered the distinct sound of someone teleporting into the room, and soon Ryoko Hakubi was kneeling next to her. "What is it?" She demanded, her own concern for the younger princess visible I her facial expression, the small cabbit Ryo-oh-ki sitting on the counter, sensing something was wrong but unsure of what to do.

The space pirate looked over at her rival, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Tsunami?" She asked, referring to the Jurian deity that was connected, in more ways then one, to the young princess who was now sobbing in Ayeka's arms. The elder princess grimaced, lightly shrugging her shoulder, signaling that she, too, was at a loss.

"Tenchi!" Sasami cried out, jolting away from the comforting arms of her sister and looking at the two women with tear laced eyes. "Tenchi's in trouble! You have to help him!" She said between sobs, watching as Ryoko abruptly stood up in alarm.

The pirate looked dawn at Ayeka. "Stay here and help Sasami," She ordered, knowing that even if she hadn't said anything, the older princess would still do it. "See if you can get Washu and Mihoshi, they might be able to figure out what is going on." The cyan haired woman turned away, not catching the nod of confirmation that Ayeka gave. "I'm going to find Tenchi." With that said, the space pirate disappeared from view, and Ayeka turned her attention back to her younger sister.

"Sasami…" she whispered. The younger sibling looked up at the violet haired princess. "What did Tsunami show you? Can you remember?" She asked, wanting to know if just sending Ryoko in for backup would be enough, or if they were facing a more powerful enemy that would require her as well as the others.

"They're…demons." Sasami said, after sever seconds of silence. Ayeka blinked, staring at her sister in surprise. "Demons?"

The little girl nodded, her sobs slowly fading away. "Y…yeah…but…they're different some how." The young princess grimaced, looking up at her sister sadly. "I-I can't really explain it. It's like they weren't supposed to be demons, but something changed them…" Tears once again began to swell up in the little girl's pink eyes. "They don't belong here, Ayeka." She said, before burying her face in her sister's robes, a fresh wave of sobs racking the poor child's body.

Ayeka wrapped her hands around her sister's form in a loving embrace, murmuring gently into the girl's sky blue hair. Ryo-oh-ki hopped off the counter and onto the young girl's shoulder, rubbing a furry cheek against Sasami's face as the cabbit comforted the girl in her own way.

_What does she mean they 'don't belong here?'_ Ayeka thought to herself uneasily. _Not belong on this planet? This galaxy? Or something else entirely? _She looked over at the spot where Ryoko had been standing several minutes ago_. Ryoko…Please protect Tenchi for me._ She looked back down at her sister_. For it seems I have other matters to attend to at the moment._

**'break'**

Ryoko flew through the sky in the direction of the carrot patch, looking below her for any sign of the man she cared so deeply for. "Tenchi!" She screamed, hoping for a response from the teen. "Tenchi, where are you?" Golden eyes searched the ground below her, but all that met her gaze were the usual plant life.

The sound of gunshots going off, however, grabbed her attention, and the space pirate paused in her flight, head whipping around to find which direction the noise was coming from. _Where is it…there! _The cyan haired woman sped off in the direction of the gunshots, her stomach twisting into a knot as her mind ran rampant with images of what she might find holding the bullets of the gun.

Quickly, she found what she was looking for. The sound of speech reaching Ryoko's sensitive ears easily. Though she couldn't make out the words, the voices were familiar, in one case eerily so. The pirate looked down, her eyes landing on first Tenchi's fallen form, then on that of his attacker.

_What the...what the hell!? _She thought to herself_. Is it another clone?_ Images of her capture at Zero's hands ran through her mind, and a burst of anger swelled in her chest. She watched as her double aimed her weapon at Tenchi's head. "Oh hell no!" She cried out, sending a blast of red energy at her double, both combatants looking up at the pirate before the hit landed on the woman's chest, exploding on impact and sending dust and other debris in every which way.

Ryoko floated down, landing gently in front of Tenchi, still eyeing the spot where her double had been, now obliterated by the blast. She turned to look at Tenchi, checking the boy over with her eyes for any signs of wounds. Nothing that appeared to be visible, thank Tsunami. "Tenchi, are you okay?" She asked, offering a hand up.

The teen took it gratefully. "Yeah, I'm okay now." He said in relief, before turning to the cloud of dust that had risen from the blast. "But did you have to be so rough? Couldn't you have just…disabled her or something? You didn't have to kill her…"

Ryoko stared at Tenchi with an incredulous look on her face. "Tenchi…You do realize she was trying to kill you, right?" She asked, the disbelieving look she was giving him refusing to go away. Tenchi innocently scratched the back of his head, his brush with death apparently already behind him. "Well, yeah….but you tried the same thing at the school, remember?"

Ryoko blinked. "Oh, come on, that was another thing entir-" She paused mid sentence, turning to look back at the dust cloud, a grey silhouette beginning to form as the dust began to settle. The sound of a gun being cocked, and Ryoko automatically grabbed ahold of Tenchi, teleporting them both to a different part of the field right at the gun's trigger was pulled.

"She's still alive?" Ryoko murmured, looking back in the direction of the dust cloud, the dust having settled enough for the duo to make out exactly what they were looking at. And there Ryoko's double stood, a large soot stain on her chest where the blast must have landed, her body covered in dirt and dust, the gun aimed at Tenchi's head yet again.

There was something else as well, something Tenchi hadn't noticed when his gaze had first landed on the double, but was now increasingly obvious. On her left arm, a strange tattoo rested, slightly resembling a gaping mouth filled with sharp teeth, strange patterns surrounding the mouth and what could only be thought of as the 'head'. Solid black, it stood out against the strangers light skin, and both he and Ryoko watched in puzzlement as light blue lines began appearing around the tattoo, spreading up her arm and onto her clothing.

Ryoko took a step back, her eyes growing wide as a sense of power entered her mind. The pirate took a step in front of Tenchi, hiding him from the barrel of the gun. "What the hell are you?" She demanded, forming a light sword and shifting into a fighting position.

Her double didn't respond to her question, instead lowering her gun to her side, the eerie blue light spreading to cover even it as the parts of her that weren't covered by the light turned pitch black, the woman's form shifting into that of a larger, more fearsome creature. The glow faded, and Ryoko and Tenchi found themselves staring at a creature that could have come from the many myths and legends that the Earth held, it overly large jaw gaping at them from an eyeless head.

**'break'**

A/N: Okay, so that's it for the first chapter of this story. What do you think, have I confused you enough yet? It's been a while since I submitted a new story, so I have no idea how I did. Good? Bad? Confusing? Tell me, and I'll see if I can't improve it for you all. Anyway, like I said above, this a heavily influenced by Digital Devil Saga from the Megaten series. Great game, though good luck trying to find a used copy of it. So…yeah….I feel as though I rushed through several of the scenes in here, sorry about that. Especially towards the end. I tend to get a little impatient when I get near the end of a chapter, and tend to rush-if only so I can finish it before loosing interest with it. So…yeah. I have no effing clue how long this will last. I'm bad at starting a storty and then not finishing it, but who knows with this one? Maybe it'll get lucky.


End file.
